The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Friday, June 29, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: Militants from Afghanistan attacked the Karakar check post near the Lower Dir area. The attack was thwarted by security forces who in retaliation killed at least six militants. This was the second attack by militants from Afghanistan in the area during this week. Eight militants were killed when they attacked the Rig Pam check post two days ago.

#2: At least 20 Taliban militants were killed during a massive clash with security forces in eastern Afghan province of Nuristan on Friday, the provincial governor said. "An estimated 60 to 80 Taliban militants launched a massive attack on Afghan National Police (ANP) checkposts in Kamdesh district at around 3 a.m. local time Friday and the clashes lasted for several hours, leaving more than 20 militants dead," governor Tamim Nuristani told Xinhua. The militants used small arm and rocket-propelled grenade in the attack in the district bordering Pakistan, the governor said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces. Citing initial information from the police, the governor added that at least three civilian women were also killed and several civilians were injured in the clashes. The remaining militants fled the scene after the police were reinforced by some army soldiers, the governor said. Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman told local media from undisclosed location that two militants were killed in the attack on police checkposts in Nuristan, during which over a dozen police were also killed.#3: In a separate development, a Taliban local leader was killed in an operation conducted by Afghan soldiers and NATO-led coalition forces in eastern Logar province. "An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation, in Charkh district, Logar province, Thursday," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement on Friday morning. "The target of the operation was Maulawi Sadiq, a Taliban leader and explosives expert who coordinated the movement of insurgents, provided explosive materials and training to insurgents, and planned attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in the region," the statement said.#4: Eight troops, including a captain, were killed and three others injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast near Alhaj Market in Bara on Thursday. "At least eight troops, including an officer, were killed and three others wounded in a bomb explosion, targeting two vehicles of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC)", a spokesman for the force told AFP. The vehicles were on a routine patrol when attack happened, he added.#5: Pfc. Kevin R. Jaye, a U.S. Army infantryman serving in Afghanistan, will be returning to the United States Friday after suffering numerous serious injuries from a improvised explosive device, his father said Wednesday. Ken Jaye of Smithsburg said his 25-year-old son, who was with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, stepped on the pressure plate of an IED, and it exploded violently, resulting in the amputation of his right leg below the knee.#6: At least 20 people were killed and 25 others injured when a roadside bomb blast hit a passenger bus on Thursday evening in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, local media reported.According to the Urdu channel AAJ TV, the incident took place at about 6:00 p.m. local time in Hazarganji area of the provincial capital Quetta. The bus with around 50 people on board was bound for Quetta from Iran. When the bus reached Hazarganji area, a roadside bomb exploded and destroyed the bus completely before the bus fell into a nearby ravine which made the rescue operation very slow. One of the two police vehicles providing security to the bus also came under attack, leaving at least one policeman dead and three others injured.

#7: At least eight soldiers were killed and three others injured on Thursday when a roadside bomb struck a security convoy in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of Khyber agency, officials said. The convoy was targeted with a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) when it was passing through the Qambarabad area of Khyber agency, one of Pakistan's restive tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Shortly after the incident, the security forces launched a search operation during which security personnel encountered some unknown militants and killed two of them in the clash#8: At least one person died on Thursday when an oil truck caught fire in Pul-e- Khumri, the provincial capital of northern Afghan province of Baghlan, the police said. "An oil truck caught fire at around 4 p.m. local time Thursday in Pul-e-Khumir city and as we know so far one person lost his live in the incident," Zia Kargar, head of the anti-criminal police department in the province, told Xinhua. He said at least six shops were also burned in the incident and an investigation was under way to probe the incident. However, some locals said that a sticky bomb attached to the vehicle might cause the fire incident.

Eyewitnesses in the area said a suicide bomber detonated explosives packed in a vechicle near the NATO supplies convoy and there are fears of increase in the number of casualties.#9: According to reports an Afghan helicopter crashed in north-eastern Takhar province late Thursday evening. Afghan Natural Disasters Managemen Department officials said the incident took place in Eashkamesh district of north-eastern Takhar province. Natural Disasters Management Department officials said the passengers and crew members of the helicopter did not suffer any casualties following the incident.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The DoD is reporting a new death previous
unreported by the military. Staff Sgt. Matthew J.
Leach died from unreported causes in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Tuesday, June
26th.

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from an IED attack in an
undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 27th.

Reported security incidents#1: Pakistani Security forces on Wednesday night killed seven militants when they tried to enter Pakistan territory from Afghanistan. The militants once again attempted to enter the territory of Pakistan for "terrorism" activities but the security forces personnel were alert and responded immediately and foiled their attempt. Several militants were also injured in the operation, according to security sources.

#2: Two persons were killed in a blast that occurred in Zakha Khel area of Khyber
Agency Thursday, FP News Desk reported. Security
sources said the explosion was remote-controlled that killed two volunteers
belonging to Aman Lashkar (peace militia). The volunteers were on their way on a
motorbike when they were ambushed by the blast.#3: Bullet-riddled bodies of Fahimuddin, chief of anti-Taliban force guarding Peshawar against militant attacks, and three of his associates were found dumped on Wednesday after he went missing on Tuesday, police said. Fahimuddin, in his 50s, was heading a 1,500-strong anti-Taliban force in Bazidkhel area on the outskirts of Peshawar. He had escaped several attempts on his life, including suicide and improvised explosive device attacks, from the Taliban since he stood up against militants from Darra Adamkhel and Khyber tribal regions. "Four bodies were found this morning," police official Asif Iqbal told reporters.#3: At least 10 people were killed and over 30 others injured as a blast hit a railway station in Pakistan's southwest city of Sibi on Wednesday night, reported local Urdu TV channel Express. According to the local media reports, the blast took place at about 11:00 p.m. local time when a bomb fixed under a chair on Platform 2 at the Sibi railway station went off, killing and wounding many passengers on the platform.#4: Afghan army uncovered and defused 109 Taliban homemade bombs or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) within the past seven days cross the war-torn country, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi said Wednesday.

#5: According to local authorities in eastern Logar province, a roadside bomb blast hit International Security Assistance Force convoy in this province. Provincial security chief Sadiq Abdul Rahim confirming the report said the incident took place at Mohammad Agha district. Mr. Sadiq further added a vehicle of the NATO troops was damaged following the incident however coalition forces did not suffer any casualties.#6: According to local authorities in eastern Paktiya province, at least 28 militants were killed following a joint military operation by Afghan and coalition security forces in this province. Deputy provincial governor Abdul Rahman Mangal said the operations were conducted in Samkanai and Aryub Zazai districts on Tuesday night. Mr. Mangal further added at least 20 militants were killed in Aryub Zazai district and 8 others were killed in Samkanai district during the operations. In the meantime a spokesman for the Taliban group Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the death of 15 Taliban fighters and said Afghan and coalition forces also suffered casualties during the operations.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: In the south, four officers were killed when they responded to an explosion in Musa Qala district on Wednesday, said provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi. No one was killed in the first blast, but a second, apparently remote-controlled, bomb hit the policemen when they got to the scene to investigate.

#2: In Herat province in the west, an ambush killed four policemen on patrol in Ghoryan district late Tuesday, said provincial government spokesman Noor Khan.

#3: Also, in Kunduz province in the north, two police officers were killed when their truck hit a roadside bomb early Wednesday, said Kunduz province police chief Gen. Samihullah Qatrah.

A roadside bomb struck a police van in Kunduz province 250 km north of capital Kabul on Wednesday, killing three policemen and wounding three others, police said. "It was a remote-controlled bomb that struck a police van when a convoy of police was passing the Hazrat Sultan area in the provincial capital Kunuz city this morning as a result three personnel of Civil Order Police were martyred and three others sustained injuries," provincial police chief Samiullah Qatra told Xinhua.

#4: At least four people were killed and two others injured in a US drone strike launched in Pakistan 's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on Tuesday night, reported local Urdu TV channel Dunya. According to the report, the US drones fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militants' hideout in the Tehsil Shawal area of North Waziristan at about 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, leaving at least four people inside the house killed and two others wounded.#5: Afghan police and army, backed by NATO-led coalition forces, have killed 37 Taliban insurgents during operations in different provinces within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Wednesday morning. "The joint forces carried out 12 cleanup operations in Kabul, Laghman, Parwan, Kunduz, Sari Pul, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan and Farah provinces, killing 37 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining three other suspects over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. Up to 14 other insurgents were injured in the raids, the statement added.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: Pakistani military officials said militants from Afghanistan crossed in the northwestern Pakistan's Upper Dir region Sunday night and clashed with Pakistan forces on a patrol. The military said six Pakistani troops were killed outright. Seven who went missing were beheaded, while four of the missing have not been found. The military's statement also said Pakistani troops killed 14 of the militants. The military's account could not be independently verified.

#2: Authorities say a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan has killed six police officers. Uruzgan provincial government spokesman Abdullah Emat says the policemen were driving in a pickup truck through the province’s Charcheno district on Sunday when the vehicle struck the explosive. He did not provide further details.#3: Up to 33 insurgents have killed during military operations in different Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. "Afghan police, army and coalition forces have conducted seven joint cleanup operations in Helmand, Uruzgan, Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Khost and Paktia provinces killing 33 armed insurgents and detaining 12 other suspected insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates.#4: Insurgents killed five civilians in Sangin district of southern Helmand province on Saturday, accusing them for supporting the government and foreign troops, said a statement issued by provincial government earlier Tuesday.

Monday, June 25, 2012

The Italian Defense ministry is reporting the death or an Italian soldier at a police training base somewhere in western
Afghanistan on Monday, June 25th. Two additional soldiers were wounded in the
blast. Here's the ISAF release.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an
undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, June 23rd.

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an
undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, June 23rd.

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers in a traffic accident in
an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, June 24th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related
injury in an undisclosed location in western Afghanistan on Sunday, June
24th.

10 al-Qaida members escaped from Yemeni jail in Aden: security official

Reported security incidents#1: The Pakistan military says militants have killed six troops after crossing into the country from Afghanistan. It also says 11 militants were killed during the fighting Sunday in the northwestern Upper Dir region. Pakistan has complained that militants use parts of Afghanistan for sanctuary from which to stage attacks inside Pakistan. The charge helps Islamabad counter frequent US and NATO complaints that militants behind much of the violence in Afghanistan come from Pakistan.#2: According to local police officials in southern Helmand province, several Afghan police officers were poisoned in this province. The officials further added the incident took place at a police academy in Lashkargah city on Monday. Provincial governor spokesman Dawood Ahmadi confirming the report said around 40 Afghan police officers were poisoned before lunch time on Monday and were taken to hospital for treatment purposes.#3: According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province at least 1 Afghan civilian was killed and another one was injured following an explosion in this province. The incident took place in Ali Lala area in eastern Ghazni city after explosives planted in a cycle went off on Sunday afternoon.

#4: An International Security Assistance Force helicopter made a forced landing in southern Afghanistan yesterday. ISAF is still in the process of assessing the circumstances to determine more facts; however, initial reporting indicates that there was no enemy activity in the area. All crew members have recovered with no reported fatalities and the site of the incident is secure.

NPR's Sean Carberry describes the alternate supply route NATO is using with the Pakistan border closed. They have to go through the Soviet-built Salang Tunnel through the Hindu Kush, bringing supplies in from Uzbekistan. Traffic backs up for 10 miles because truck traffic is restricted to 1 direction at a time. And it is not a pretty ride:

Water pours in through holes in the wall. Whatever pavement might
once have existed has long since deteriorated into an extremely rough,
bumpy, dirt, and in some places, mud road. The
tunnel is barely wide enough for two lanes of traffic, and the uneven
road surface means trucks often tilt over at precarious angles. Even
though the tunnel is only 1.6 miles long, a recent drive through it
took more than 20 minutes because it's jammed with massive trucks
inching along the cratered road. The diesel fumes were dizzying. At one point, the dust was so thick you could barely see five feet in front of you.

Renovating the tunnel would require closing it for four months. That's not an option. A catastrophe could happen at any time.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier
from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on
Friday, June 22nd.

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF
soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern
Afghanistan on Friday, June 22nd.

Reported security incidents#1: A soldier and at least five militants were killed in clashes between Taliban fighters and troops in Upper Dir area of northwest Pakistan, officials said today. The militants, who reportedly infiltrated into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan, attacked a security check post in the remote mountainous region of Karakar of Upper Dir district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday, security officials said. One soldier was killed and several others were injured in the exchange of fire. The Pakistani troops repulsed the attack and killed five militants. The other militants managed to escape, officials said.#2: An Australian soldier suffered minor injuries after a helicopter made a hard landing during combat support operations in Afghanistan on Friday. The incident involving an Australian Ch-47 Chinook helicopter occurred at the Coalition Force Patrol Base in Kandahar province, while the aircraft was transporting personnel and equipment.#3: The Afghan police and army, backed by NATO-led coalition troops, have eliminated 11 Taliban insurgents and detained 51 other suspects during 10 cleanup operations within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Saturday. "The joint operations were conducted in Kabul, Nangarhar, Baghlan, Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Khost, Paktia and Ghazni provinces during which seven other Taliban insurgents were injured, " the ministry said in a statement.#4: According to local authorities in eastern Logar province, district police chief for Baraki Barak was killed following militants attack. Provincial governor spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish confirming the report said Baraki Barak district police chief Hazrat Mohammad was killed late Friday evening by Taliban militants in this province. Mr. Darwish further added one of the security guard of Hazrat Mohammad was killed and another one was critically injured following the incident. He also said at least two Taliban militants were killed following the clashes.#5: According to local authorities in south-eastern Uruzgan province at least 3 Afghan civilians were killed and another civilian was injured following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.

A spokesman for provincial police chief Farid Ayel confirming the report said the incident took place late Friday evening after a civilian vehicle struck with a roadside bomb Chora district, killing 3 civilians and injuring another one.

#6: In a separate incident an Afghan local police officer shot dead another Afghan local officer and injured two others in this province early Saturday morning. Farid Ayel provincial police chief spokesman Farid Ayel said the police officer managed to flee the area after opening fire on his colleagues. A spokesman for the Taliban group Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the assailant police officer was a Taliban fighter.

Reported security incidents#1: Two New Zealanders were among a team of Red Cross staff caught up in a failed bombing attempt in Afghanistan. The New Zealand Red Cross said two of its members were shaken but unharmed when an explosive on a motorcycle failed to detonate properly outside a hospital in Kandahar yesterday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said staff were arriving at the hospital to begin their shift when "a small explosive went off in the grounds of the Mirwais Hospital".#2: Taliban militants attacked a hotel near Kabul on Friday and seized dozens of hostages, sparking a fierce gunbattle with Afghan and NATO troops that left at least 26 people dead, authorities said. The militants killed 15 civilians, a police officer and three security guards during the 11-hour standoff, Kabul police chief Ayoub Salangi said. In return, authorities killed all seven militants, he said. Earlier, the police chief had said that there were five militants.#3-4: At least four people were killed and 42 others injured in two separate blasts that hit Pakistan almost simultaneously on Thursday evening. Sources in Peshawar, the largest city in northwest Pakistan, told Xinhua over phone that at least three people including two children were killed and 24 others injured when a blast hit near a shrine in the Hazar Khawani area of the city at about 6:30 p.m. local time. The bomb, which contained an estimated 10 to 12 kg of explosives, were fixed in a donkey cart parking nearby the shrine, said bomb disposal squad officials. Almost at the same time, another blast took place near a mosque in Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta, leaving at least one killed and 18 others wounded, said Hashim Gillzai, Deputy Commission of Quetta, adding that the bomb was fixed on a bicycle parking near a mosque in the Ghosabad area of the city.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

NATO is reporting the deaths of three ISAF
soldiers from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern
Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 20th. News reports that a suicide bomber attacked
a check point in Khost province killing 3 American soldiers, an Afghan interpreter,
two police officers and seventeen civilians and wounding 32 other
civilians.

Reported security incidents#1: A NATO aircraft made a forced landing in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, causing no casualties, the military alliance said in a statement. "An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) aircraft made a forced landing in eastern Afghanistan today," and "All personnel on the aircraft were recovered and there were no civilian or ISAF fatalities," the NATO-led ISAF said in the statement.

An American helicopter has crashed in Khost province in southeast Afghanistan, one day after a bomb attack killed 21 people in the province.#2: Up to 20 Taliban insurgents have been killed in operations carried out by Afghan forces and NATO- led coalition troops within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Thursday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP), army and Coalition Forces launched 13 cleanup operations in Kabul, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Logar, Paktia and Farah provinces, killing 20 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media.#3: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province at least 21 militants were killed following NATO air raid in this province. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasifi confirming the report said the air raid was conducted after coalition forces were engaged by militants at Wata Pur and Mangoi districts.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier
from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on
Tuesday, June 19th.

US killing of pakistani civilians by drones illegal: UN -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Jun 7 said the killing of civilians by the US assassination drones in Pakistan is illegal and in violation of human rights.

Reported security incidents#1: A suicide bomber has killed at least four civilians in
the eastern Afghan province of Khost, officials say. The attacker was targeting a military convoy belonging to Nato-led
forces. An Afghan television channel said the blast happened as US troops were
carrying out vehicle checks. There are no reports of any military casualties.#2: Afghan national police in conjunction with the NATO-led troops have eliminated 17 anti- government militants across the country over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Wednesday. "Units of national police backed by army and the NATO-led coalition force have killed 17 armed rebels in Helmand, Zabul, Ghazni and Khost provinces over the past 24 hours," the statement stressed.#3: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province at least 21 militants were killed following NATO air raid in this province. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasifi confirming the report said the air raid was conducted after coalition forces were engaged by militants at Wata Pur and Mangoi districts. Mr. Wasifi further added Afghan security forces and civilians did not suffer any casualties following the air raid.#4: International Security Assistance Force in eastern regions of the country on Tuesday confirmed a coalition forces drone crashed in eastern Kunar province. ISAF media office in eastern Afghanistan said the drone crashed on Tuesday morning at Sarkano district in Ganjgal area.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier
from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on
Monday, June 18th.

Reported security incidents#1: Afghan officials say a mine laid in a road has killed eight civilians in the country's south, including women and children. The governor's office in Helmand province says the eight were driving Monday in Musa Qala district when their car hit the explosives.#2: Seven attackers have been killed after storming a base of the Nato coalition
in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan. The attackers breached the outer security of the base in Shah Wali Kot
district, but were then killed by guards at the compound. Initial reports suggested that at least one foreign worker was killed and two
other foreigners were wounded, but this was not confirmed. #3: Afghan authorities say militants have attacked a police checkpoint in southern Afghanistan, killing three policemen and wounding six others. Kandahar province spokesman Javid Faisal says militants attacked the checkpoint in Kandahar city around 6 a.m. Tuesday. A gunbattle between the police and insurgents lasted for an hour.

#4: Earlier Tuesday, seven Taliban insurgents were killed when they launched an attack on a NATO military camp in neighboring Shah Wali Kot district, police chief of the district Padshah Khan told Xinhua. At least 10 soldiers with the NATO-led coalition or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were injured in the attack at around 3:30 local time, he said. Meanwhile, the ISAF press office in Kandahar city confirmed that one of the coalition's camp was attacked Tuesday morning but did not provide details.#5: A total of 27 Taliban insurgents have been killed and seven others detained in joint cleanup operations carried out by Afghan forces and NATO-led coalition troops in different provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. "Afghan police, army and NATO-led coalition troops launched 10 cleanup operations in Kabul, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunduz, Faryab, Badakhshan, Zabul, Paktika and Farah provinces, killing 27 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining seven other suspects over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

Monday, June 18, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF
soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern
Afghanistan on Monday, June 18th.

Attack on U.S. outpost in Afghanistan worse than originally reported -- A June 1 attack on a U.S. outpost near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was much worse than originally disclosed by the military as insurgents pounded the base with a truck bomb, killing two Americans and seriously wounding about three dozen troops, officials acknowledged Saturday.

Reported security incidents#1: Afghan authorities say a remote-controlled bomb has killed five people in eastern Afghanistan.

Hussain Khan Sanjani, the leader of the provincial council in Kapisa province, says Monday's explosion killed an Afghan local police commander along with his son, two body guards and one civilian. He says 17 other people were wounded in the blast, which occurred around 11 a.m. in a bazaar in Tagab district.

#2: At least four students were killed
and many injured by a bomb blast which hit a university bus in the Pakistani
province of Balochistan, officials say. Police say the bomb was planted on a vehicle parked in a suburb of the
provincial capital, Quetta.#3: Afghan security forces, backed by the NATO-led coalition troops, have eliminated 15 Taliban insurgents and detained six other within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Monday. "Afghan police, army, NDS or Afghan intelligence agency and Coalition Forces launched 14 joint cleanup operations in Nangarhar, Baghlan, Faryab, Sari Pul, Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Ghor provinces, killing 15 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining six other suspects over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media.

The attack on June 1 on a U.S. outpost near the Pakistan border was much worse than originally reported. At the time, ISAF merely reported that an attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province had been successfully repelled, without mentioning any casualties. In fact the attack included a 1,500 pound truck bomb. It killed 2 U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor, and 5 Afghan civilians, seriously wounded three dozen U.S. troops and more lightly injured 100. It is unclear why the facts about this incident were withheld for more than two weeks.

Thousands of tonnes of equipment including armoured vehicles, guns, ammunition and combat uniforms have already been airlifted out of the country. However, an estimated 400 containers remain stranded in secret locations throughout southern Afghanistan. . . .
Thousands of tonnes of equipment including armoured vehicles, guns, ammunition and combat uniforms have already been airlifted out of the country. However, an estimated 400 containers remain stranded in secret locations throughout southern Afghanistan.

Pakistan closed NATO's main transit route from the port of Karachi in November following an air attack on the country's border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Supply trucks have sat idle in Afghanistan since then. "It's engineering stores, it's spare parts, it's camp stores, defensive stores, things of that nature. This is equipment that we want to bring back to Canada," Brig.-Gen. John Mackay told CTV News.

Iraq Update

Since U.S. forces have left Iraq, Americans have forgotten all about the country. Come to think of it, they've pretty much forgotten about Afghanistan even though U.S. troops are still there and still getting killed. But all is not well in "liberated" Iraq.

Rupert Murdoch pushed Tony Blair toward war in Iraq, the ex-prime
minister’s former head flak has written in the final installment of his
diaries, it was revealed Saturday. Alastair Campbell’s diaries are being
serialized in The Guardian. Campbell recalls that only a week
before the British House of Commons voted in 2003 to send troops to
Iraq, Prime Minister Blair received a call from the Australian-born
media mogul, who pressed him to involve the U.K.’s military resources
faster. “But [Tony Blair] and I felt it was prompted by Washington, and
another example of their over-crude diplomacy,” Campbell writes.
“Murdoch was pushing all the Republican buttons, how the longer we
waited the harder it got.”

Saturday, June 16, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier
from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on
Friday, June 15th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF
soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern
Afghanistan on Friday, June 15th.

Reported security incidents#1: At least 15 killed and dozens more injured after bomb explodes in Landi Kotal, near border with Afghanistan. Fifteen people have been killed after a car bomb exploded in a crowded bazaar in north-west Pakistan, according to government officials. The car bomb was detonated in Landi Kotal, a town in northwest tribal region of Khyber near the border with Afghanistan. Officials said 35 others were wounded in the attack and a number of shops and vehicles also badly damaged. Security officials said the target appeared to be a tribal leader allied with the government against the Pakistani Taliban, Reuters said, and warned that the death toll could rise.#2: Afghan officials say three police officers have been killed in a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan. Uruzgan provincial government spokesman Abdullah Himmat says the blast occurred on Friday night before in the province's Chinarto district. He says one other officer was wounded in the explosion.#3: Afghan police backed by NATO-led troops have killed 18 armed anti-government militants over the past 24 hours across the country, Interior Ministry said in a press release Saturday. "The national police with the support of army and the coalition forces have killed 18 militants in Badakhshan, Helmand, Logar, Khost and Paktiya provinces over the past 24 hours,"the press release said.

#4: Afghan defense ministry following a statement on Tuesday announced at least 10 Afghan national army soldiers were killed or injured during the past 24 hours. The statement further added at least 3 Afghan national army soldiers were killed and 7 others were injured in militants attack and improvised explosive device attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan. The incidents took place in Nuristan, Paktia, Logar, Ghazni and Helmand provinces of Afghanistan.#5: According to local authorities in eastern Paktika province at least 34 insurgents were killed following military operations in this province. The officials further added the operations were conducted on Thursday and Friday in 4 different districts of eastern Paktika province.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: An explosion at a marketplace in southern Afghanistan has reportedly killed at least 11 people and wounded 11 others. A spokesman for the Kandahar governor's office, Jawid Faisal, said the blast occurred on June 15 in the remote southeastern Maroof district of Kandahar Province. Faisal said it appeared the casualties were caused when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle was detonated.

#2: According to local authorities in eastern Nangarhar province at least 3 Afghan national police forces were killed following an improvised explosive device explosion. The officials further added the incident took place at Fateh Abad area in this province. Provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said the incident took place after a vehicle of the Afghan police forces struck with a roadside bomb, killing three Afghan police and injuring another police officer.#3: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province, a suicide bomber attacked a military base used by Afghan and coalition security forces in this province. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon at Nari district after a suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives near the base. The officials further added at least one Afghan intelligence, National Directorate for security (NDS) official was killed and two other security officials were injured following the attack. Nari district chief Gul Zaman confirming the report said the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers while the local elders had gathered inside the military base to attend a tribal session.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The British MoD is reporting the death of a
British ISAF soldier from a small arms/grenade (rpg?) attack in the north of Nahr-e Saraj district. Helmand
Province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 13th. Here’s the ISAF
release.

Reported security incidents#1: A US drone today targeted a building in the heart of the restive North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan, killing at least three militants, officials said. The unmanned spy planed fired two missiles at the building in the market of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, described by US officials as a hub for Taliban and Al Qaeda elements. Officials were quoted by TV channels as saying that three militants were killed. A local journalist said on phone from Miranshah that the US drone carried out the attack at 3.30 am. The building was destroyed and the strike damaged a nearby hotel and several other structures. The identity of the militants killed could not immediately be ascertained. This was the second drone strike in the same region in nearly 10 hours. Four militants were killed when a drone attacked a vehicle near Miranshah yesterday evening.

#2: AN Australian soldier has been wounded in Afghanistan after the vehicle he was travelling in struck a roadside bomb. According to Defence the soldier, from Mentoring Task Force-Four, was wounded during a coalition supported patrol in the Charmestan Valley of Uruzgan province on 12 June. Acting Chief of Joint Operations Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore said an Australian Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle struck the improvised explosive device which was concealed on the track.#3: Army Spc. Matthew Krumwiede was near Kandahar, an area she said has been described to her as a hot zone during recent days. According to information she received Wednesday evening, Matthew was on patrol Tuesday morning local time when there was some enemy contact. While his outfit was setting up some kind of security he stepped on a the pressure plate of an improvised explosive device.

#4: An explosion rocked Jowzjan province of northern Afghanistan on Thursday morning, leaving 11 people injured, according to Afghan police. "A remote control bomb was set off in Karte Dostom area of Sheberghan, capital of Jowzjan province, at around 7 o'clock local time today, leaving 11 people injured, " Azizullah, police chief of Jowzjan province, told Xinhua, adding that the explosion was apparantly targeting Haji Dastagir, a tribal elder in the area who is among the injured with his two sons.#5: At least 11 Afghan national army soldiers injured across the country during the past 24 hours. Afghan defense ministry following a statement on Thursday announced, 11 Afghan national army soldiers were injured in militants’ attacks and roadside bomb explosions in various provinces of Afghanistan. The source further added Afghan national army soldiers were injured in militants attack at three main provinces of Afghanistan including Kunar, Ghazni and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.

#6: In a separate statement ISAF announced Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents and detained five during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, June 13. Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces killed three insurgent during a small arms engagement in Watahpur district of eastern Kunar province.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from
an IED blast in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, June
12th.

NATO is reporting another death of an ISAF soldier
from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday,
June 12th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from
an IED blast in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday,
June 13th.

U.S. troops return to Afghanistan's "lost province"Govt to discuss change in Bulgaria’s participation in Afghanistan and ALTHEA operationBombs kill 56 during Iraq pilgrimageDays After an Order to Restrict Them, Afghanistan Calls for Airstrikes to End

Reported security incidents#1: Unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning killed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) local leader Afzal Khan in Kanju area of Swat, Geo News reported. According to police, the attackers ambushed Afzal Khan as soon as he left his house that left him severely injured.#2: Afghan police and army, backed by NATO-led coalition forces, have killed 16 Taliban insurgents and detained 14 other suspects within the past 24 hours, the country' s Interior Ministry said Wednesday. "Afghan police, army and coalition forces launched seven joint cleanup operations in Kabul, Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz and Zabul provinces, killing 16 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 14 others over the past 24 hours,"the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media.#3: According to local authorities in eastern Paktiya province at least 21 Afghan civilians were killed or injured following an explosion in this province. The officials further added the incident took place on late Tuesday evening at Gardiz city near the branch of Kabul Bank. An official at the provincial hospital said at least 1 person was killed and 20 others were injured following the explosion and were taken to the hospital for the treatment purposes.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Reported security incidents#1: A fresh bomb attack has claimed the lives of three Afghan civilians, including a child, and wounded five police officers in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh, officials say. The incident took place on Tuesday when a bomber riding an explosive-laden bicycle targeted a police patrol in a market in Chahar Bolak town, confirmed regional police spokesman Lal Mohammad Ahmadzi.#2: Earlier the same day, at least five other civilians, including women and children, were killed after a roadside bomb hit a minibus in the central province of Wardak. Provincial government spokesman Sahidullah Shahid said that two people were also wounded in the bomb blast.#3: A Mesquite soldier was critically wounded in a multiple-grenade attack in Afghanistan. Sgt. Vincent Raila was injured in a grenade attack on June 1.

#4: A suicide bomber targeted an anti-Taliban tribal elder in Peshawar on Tuesday, killing two of his security guards and wounding two others, police said. The attack took place in Bazidkhel village on the outskirts of Peshawar in the Nasir Bagh area on the edge of the city. The presumed target, Muhammad Fahim, who heads a local anti-Taliban militia, was not in the vehicle at the time of the attack and so was not hurt, police said.

#5: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province two tribal elders were shot dead by Taliban militants at Nari district in this province. The officials further added the two tribal elders were assassinated by militants over espionage charges to Afghan intelligence, National Directorate for security. Nari district chief Haji Gul Zaman confirming the report said the deceased tribal elders Malik Akbar Khan and Mualem Hayatullah were members of the local provincial and development council.#6: Afghan interior ministry following a press release on Tuesday announced at least 30 Taliban militants were killed following military operations by Afghan national police forces during the past 24 hours. The source further added Afghan national police forces conducted at least 6 military operations during the past 24 hours in cooperation with the Afghan national army, Afghan intelligence forces and coalition security forces. The operations were conducted at Baghlan, Kandahar, Zabul, Logar and Ghazni provinces of Afghanistan, interior ministry officials said.

#7: Afghan defense ministry following a statement on Monday announced at least 15 Afghan national army soldiers were killed or injured following militants attack and improvised explosive device explosion in southern and eastern Afghanistan. The source further added at least 3 Afghan soldiers were killed following insurgents attacks in southern Helmand province and eastern Kunar province and 12 others were injured.

Monday, June 11, 2012

The DoD is reporting the death of a sailor. Master
Chief Petty Officer Richard J. Kessler Jr. was found deceased in his berthing
compartment on board USS Enterprise on Friday, June 8th. He was supporting
Operation Enduring Freedom.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from
an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on
Sunday, June 10th.

Reported security incidents#1: Three bus passengers were killed and 12 others injured when a bomb planted in a
parked motorbike exploded in Pakistan's insurgency-hit province of Baluchistan
on Monday, officials said. The motorbike fitted with explosives had been
left on the road linking the provincial capital Quetta with Iran, senior
government official Naseebullah Bazai told AFP. The incident happened
near Dreengar town in Mastung district, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of
Quetta. "Three people were killed and a dozen others were wounded. It was
a remote-controlled bomb," Bazai said, adding that the bus was badly
damaged. "The target of the attack was not immediately clear," he said.#2: The Afghan Interior Ministry says an ambulance struck a roadside bomb, killing a pregnant woman who was being rushed to the hospital and four of her family members. The statement says the ambulance was driving on a road Monday in the northern province of Sar-e-Pul when it hit the buried explosive. It says the dead included two women and two children.

#3: Meanwhile, an official says another 4 civilians were killed in an attack in the east. Ghazni provincial spokesman Fazel Ahmad Sabawon says two women and two children died when a mortar fired by insurgents hit their home. He says the militants appeared to be aiming for a government building nearby, but missed their target. He says the incident happened in Ghazni province's Gilan district.

#4: Four Taliban militants lost their lives as their bomb went off prematurely in Afghanistan 's Paktika province, 155 km south of capital Kabul, Sunday night, spokesman for the provincial administration Mukhlis Afghan said Monday. "Four Taliban insurgents were busy in planting a bomb on a road in Jani Khil district last night to target security forces but the device went off prematurely killing all the four on the spot," Afghan told Xinhua. Three of the dead insurgents are Pakistani nationals, he added.

#5: Up to 33 Taliban insurgents have been killed in military operations carried out by the Afghan force and NATO-led coalition troops within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Sunday morning. "Afghan police, army and coalition forces launched 10 joint cleanup operations in Kabul, Laghman, Parwan, Helmand, Uruzgan and Farah provinces, killing 33 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

#6: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province district intelligence, national directorate for security (NDS) chief for Dangam was shot dead by unknowng gunmen on Tuesday. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasif confirming the report said Dangam district NDS chief Hajji Ghulam Habib was assassinated by unknown gunmen today. Mr. Wasif further addded he was shot dead by unknown gunmen while he was meeting a local civilian.

#7: According to local authorities in northern Kunduz province at least 3 people including an Afghan child was killed following an explosion in this province. The incident took place late Monday afternoon in Imam Sahib district. Imam Sahib district chief Imanuddin Quraishi confirming the report said the incident took place inside a house where suspected militants were busy to manufacture improvised explosive device. Mr. Quraishi further added an Afghan kid along with 2 suspected militants were killed following the incident.

A civilian is killed in Kunar province in a barrage of 20 rockets, which the provincial governor and residents say were launched from across the border by the Pakistani military. "Residents of eastern Kunar province believe that Pakistan is trying to foment insecurity in the country. Parliamentary members from the neighboring province of Nangarhar
joined the cause Kunar residents, saying that according to Afghanistan's
long term strategic agreement with the US and other western countries,
it was their duty to help defend Afghanistan against outsiders' attacks." Note: The United States heavily finances the Pakistani military. -- C

Saturday, June 9, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a
non-combat related injury in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on
Friday, June 8th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in
an IED blast in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, June
9th.

NATO is reporting the deaths of four ISAF
soldiers from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern
Afghanistan on Saturday, June 9th. News reports that 4 French soldiers died in
Kapisa province possibly by a suicide bomber. Five additional soldiers were
wounded in the attack.

Reported security incidents#1: At least four policemen were killed when undefined gun men opened fire at them
here on Saturday morning. According
to details, two armed motorcyclists shot at policemen while they were patrolling
the railway track in the Sariyab Road area. The
firing killed all four policemen on the spot.

#2: Afghan Interior Ministry following a press release on Saturday announced at least 11 Taliban militants were killed following military operations by Afghan police forces during the past 24 hours. The source further added Afghan police forces conducted at least 8 military operations along with the Afghan army, Afghan intelligence and coalition security forces in Helmand, Zabul, Ghazni, Paktika, Herat and Farah provinces of Afghanistan.#3: In a separate incident two suspected militants were killed while planting roadside improvised explosive device at Marjah district of southern Helmand province. Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the reports.